Enrique Gratas
Enrique Gratas | |
|---|---|
| Born | Enrique O. Gratas November 25, 1944 |
| Died | October 8, 2015(aged 70) |
| Occupation(s) | Television personality, journalist |
| Years active | 1966–2015 |
Enrique O. Gratas(bornGratás;[1]November 25, 1944 – October 8, 2015) was an Argentine journalist and television personality known for being the original host ofOcurrio AsionTelemundo,and the former anchor ofUnivision'sÚltima Hora(Last Hour), the second most popular Spanish newscast in the United States.[2]
Biography
[edit]Born inBahía Blanca,Gratas started working inArgentinaas a radio speaker in 1966 and moved to television news a year later. He moved to the United States in 1971 and worked as acorrespondentfor Argentine television.
Later he joined the sport division of theLos AngelesKWHY-TVstation. In 1978 he conducted the first Spanish-language sports program fromLos AngelesstationKMEX-TV.From 1982 to 1985 he was the news director of theNew JerseyWXTV.
In 1989, he moved toMiamiwhereExecutive ProducerFran Miresbrought him in to anchorTelemundo's flagship show, the network's first daily investigative news magazineOcurrio asi( "It happened like this" ). When Gratas left Telemundo Network in 1999,Pedro Sevcectook over the show temporarily before being replaced by Ana Patricia Candiani the following year.[3]
In October 2000, Gratas launchedÚltima Horaon Univision, which successfully continued to be aired for 10 years. Gratas was laid off in March 2009 along with 300 other Univision employees.
Together withJorge RamosandMaría Elena Salinas,they are considered amongst the most respected Spanish-language television journalists in the United States and Latin America.
Enrique Gratas last worked as the news anchor ofNoticiero con Enrique GratasonEstrella TV.
Health issues and death
[edit]Late in September 2015, Gratas recorded a video message where he declared to the public that he had an undisclosed disease.[4]On October 8, 2015, Gratas died in Los Angeles at age 71.[5][6]The cause of death was cancer, according to theChicago Tribune.[7]
Noted work
[edit]Among many others, Gratas interviewed:
- George W. Bush,Donald RumsfeldandColin Powell
- Jessica Lynch(first to interview her)
- Yolanda Saldívar(the person convicted for the murder of famousTejanosingerSelena Quintanilla)
He has also covered a number of major events, such as:
- EveryAmerican presidentsinceRichard Nixon
- Events fromWatergateto the9-11 attacksinNew York City
- NumerousDemocraticandRepublicanconventions
- Anchored coverage of the new Millennium for the Univision Network
- Both wars inIraq
- Luis Colosio's assassination (1994)
- Olympic bombinginAtlanta(1996)
- 2000 U.S. presidential elections
- Severalhurricanes
- The political crises in Argentina andVenezuela
Recognitions
[edit]- 1996 Suncoast RegionalEmmy Award
- Premio Paoli (Puerto Rico), for his commitment to journalism
- 1998 Señor Internacional
- Golden Globenominee for best News Anchor
- 2005 City of Hope Cancer Center Award
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Falleció en Estados Unidos el periodista Oscar Enrique Gratás".La Nueva(in Spanish). 10 October 2015.Retrieved24 July2017.
- ^Gratas' biography at Univision(Spanish)
- ^Yo también veía…Ocurrió así
- ^"Enrique Gratas está muy enfermo y pide que recen por él".La Prensa.Retrieved24 July2017.
- ^Arias-Polo, Arturo (9 October 2015)."Muere el periodista argentino Enrique Gratas".El Nuevo Herald.Retrieved24 July2017.
- ^"Enrique Gratas Dead At 71: Estrella TV News Anchor Dies After Serious Health Battle".latintimes.com.8 October 2015.Retrieved24 July2017.
- ^Orozco, Gisela (8 October 2015)."Murió el periodista Enrique Gratas".Chicago Tribune(in Spanish).Retrieved24 July2017.